Ditching-machine



A. BRAMER;

DHCHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED sum). 19!].

1,816,999. Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

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A. BRAMER.

DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-27' I917.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

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APPLICATION FILED SEPTJZI. I917- 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Inventor; AZker/f Bramzr,

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAI'II c0.. WASHINGTON, n. C.

' UNITE ALBERT BRAMER, OF AREDAIIE, IOWA.

DITCI-IING-MACHINE.

Application filed September 27, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT BRAMER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Aredale, Butler county, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in excavating mechanism, particularly to the type of machines mounted for self-propelled transportation and employed in making ditches or relatively narrow trenches.

An object of my improvements is to mount in such a machine a rotatable supporting-frame or holder for a plurality of excavating tools, said frame being capable of being raised or lowered.

A further object of my improvements is to mount on said rotatable frame another plurality of shearing tools adapted for cooperation with said excavating tools in the work of trenching.

A further object of my improvements is to furnish a movable receiving and conveying device, operable simultaneously with the operation of said excavating mechanism to receive and deliver materials excavated and deposited thereon.

A further object of my improvements is to provide resiliently-controlled means for removing adherent material from the excavating tools, after the latter have delivered their loads to said receiving and conveying device.

A further object of my improvements is to supply said excavating mechanism with self-propelled means for transportation, including power-transmission means which are capable of a plurality of changes of speed, as well as a reversal of direction, the said propelling means being adapted to be driven by a power-plant simultaneously with the actuation of the excavating and delivering mechanism of the apparatus.

Other improvements will be more specifically described herein and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a self-propelled vehicle upon which my improved excavating and delivering mechanism is mounted, with the power-plant removed; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail side elevation of the excavating mechanism and delivery device, with parts Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

Serial No. 193,511.

broken away; Fig. 4 is a plan view of said delivery device; Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the shearing-devices of said mechanism; Fig. 6 is a medial transverse section taken through the said excavating mechanism; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section, taken through said excavating mechanism below the level of the receiving table of said delivery device, with parts broken away; Fig. 8 is an elevation of the mechanism employed in raising or lowering said excavating mechanism, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view of the rear part, only, of said selfpropelled vehicle and of the power-transmission device mounted thereon in driving connection with a pair of carrying-wheels. Fig. 10 is a detail view of the driving mechanism for said delivery device.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

My improved excavating and delivering mechanism is mounted upon a self-propelled vehicle, which also carries a power-plant. This vehicle comprises an open horizontallydisposed skeleton frame, the main-frame of which has spaced longitudinal side-bars 96 fixedly connected at their front and rear ends by cross-bars, the rear part of the frame being widened transversely by the addition of outer longitudinal bars 99 whose front and rear ends are fixedly connected to said side bars 96. Under the forward end of said main frame, a forward axle 93 is pivotally mounted in any well-known manner and supplied at its ends with steeringwheels 94:. For the purpose of steering the vehicle, said axle may be rocked horizontally by means of pivotally-connected rods 92, and chains 91, the latter adapted to be wound about drums 90, the latter rotated by means of a shaft 89 and handWheel 88.

The rear wider part of said frame is supported upon positively driven' tractionwheels 95 carried upon alined axle-sections 72 mounted in said frame. A power-plant 46 is mounted upon the forward end of the sub-frame, and said traction-wheels are driven thereby by the following described power transmission device:

Like spur-gears 71 are fixedly mounted on the traction wheels 95 and are in mesh with sur-pinions 70 carried on the outer ends of alined shaft-sections 68 and 65, said sections being operatively connected for differential rotation by means of difi'erential-gears 69 including a differential gear-wheel 67. The numerals 57, 68 and 64 denote various rotary shafts mounted transversely on said side-bars 96.

Referring to said Fig. 1, a pinion 66 1s mounted fixedly on the shaft 64 in'mesh with said differential gear-wheel 67. Upon the same shaft 64, a gear-wheel 62 is mounted frame. The upper strand of said sprocketchain 55 is upported upon an idler 100 mounted on the main frame. The forward portions of the strands of said cha n are supported. by a vertically-spaced pair of idlersheaves 101 and 102 mounted in a hanger on one of theside-bars 96. A gear 52 fixed on the shaft 53 meshes with a like'gear 51 fixed on. another transverse shaft 50, the latter carrying a sprocket-wheel 49. A sprocketchain 48 connects the sprocket-wheel 49 to a sprocket-wheel 47 fixed on the crankor driving-shaft 25 of said powerplant.

The power-transmission devlce above described provides for two speeds ahead and one in reverse.

, mounted on a bracket-support 103, the power is disconnected from said tractionwhee1.

.To set the power-transmission device for a slow speed ahead, the pinion 58 is shifted into mesh with the gear-wheel 59, and the pinion 60 is shifted by means of another le ver 106 mounted on a bracket 104 into mesh with the gear-wheel 62. To change to-a high speed forward, the pinion 60sis shifted out of mesh with the gear-wheel 62, and the inion 61 is shifted into mesh with the gearwheel 59. To reverse, the pinions should be set as follows:

The pinion 60 should be out of mesh w1th the gear wheel 62, the pinion 61 out of mesh with thegear-wheel 59, and the pinion 58 be placed in mesh with the gear-wheel 62.

Referring now to Figs. 3, 4 and 6, which show the construction and the mounting of the combined excavating mechanism and delivery device, said excavating mechanism comprises the following constructions:

'A rotatable vsupporting frame composed of two transversely spaced fixedly connected annular plates 6 mounted on a sub-frame 98 i to rotate on a transverse horizontal axis, is employed to hold both the shearing and excavating devices. The numeral 11 denotes a pair of rectangular, spaced frames or.

bracketed supports fixedly mounted upon the sub-frame bars 98. Flanged rollers 12 are rotatably mounted on the corner-parts of said supporting structures 11 within the hollows of the annular plates 6, the inner circular edges of said plates being'supported,

thereon and rotatable thereabout, the flanges of the rollers being between the plates and.

44 on a transverse shaft 21 also mounted in bearings on said members. A relatively large belt-wheel 22 is carried on one end. of said shaft 21, and a driving-belt 28conon the crankor driving-shaft 25 of said power-plant.

By said means, said rotatable frame may be positively rotated by the power plant simultaneously with the propelling of the vehicle by the same driving shaft action, and both moving in a forward direction. Attached to the outer face of the annular side plates 6 at its outer periphery, is a plurality of spaced shearing-blades 9 secured by bolts or screws 10 passed through their flanges 8 and the plates 6. As shown inFig.

nects the belt-wheel 22 and a belt-wheel24 5, these shearing-blades extend radially outward from the plates .6, and are preferably.

obliquely offset therefrom so as to have not only a shearing action on the soil but also open it more widely than the width of said 7 plates, so that when the excavating-wheel has sunk into the earth, the trench which it forms may be of suflicient widthto receive it without interference. y

In Figs. 3 and 6 are shown in detail the excavatingtoolsl which are in the form. of transverse plates with forwardly curved outer extremities, the larger part of each plate being positioned between the annular plates 6 transversely, and so; that theother part of each tool may. extend outwardly therefrom, preferably in the .direction crossing a radius of the plates 6 at a small angle thereto. The tools 1 are fixedly secured to the plates 6 in the following manner:

The numeral 2 denotes a rectangular loop secured to said plates 6 by rivets 3, and also to the tool 1 by a strap 5 passed about a cross-bar 4 whose ends are secured to said side-plates. Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the numeral 19 denotes a transverse shaft which, as

shown in Fig. 7, is rotatabl mounted in a bearing on one of the sub- 'rame members 98 andcarries on its outer end the sprocketwheel 17 with which one end of a sprocketchain 18 meshes. The other end of the sprocket-chain 18 is passed about a sprocketwheel on the shaft 21. A pinion 20 is mounted on the inner end of the shaft 17 and meshes with the gear-wheel 16 which is mounted on a short vertical shaft 15, the latter mounted in a bearing supported between the sub-frame members 98. Upon said shaft 15 is fixedly mounted a circular fiat table 3 1 whose diameter is much wider than the width of the interspace of said annular plate 6, and whose axis is positioned to one side of the middle of said interspace. Material which is carried upwardly by the excavating tools 1, is delivered upon the top of said receiving table 34. The material is prevented from falling off the tools 1 before being delivered to the table 3 1, by an areshaped shield 112 fixed on arms 111, the latter fixed on certain of the frame members 11, the shield fitting the inner edges of the annular plates of the excavator closely so that the inner ends of the tools ma pass closely thereover. I have provided t e following means for delivering the deposit from said table:

This consists of a curved rim 39 above and surrounding the most of the circumferential periphery of said table, or at least one-half of same, as shown in Fig. 4, one end of the plate 39 being supported by one upright of one rectangular frame 11, while the other is supported by the diagonally opposite upright of the other frame 11. The numeral 35 denotes a sleeve loosely fitted on the upper end of the shaft 15 above said table and which has a curved arm 36 extending outwardly radially across the table toward its circumference, the outer end of said arm being fixedly connected by means of a stay 37 fixed on one of the frame uprights 11. Material deposited upon said table, when the latter is rotated, is carried between the bounding plate 39 and the curved arm 36 and delivered from the table laterally to fall at one side of the trench.

I have rovided the following means for the removing of adherent material from the excavating tools 1:

This means consists of a scraper made of a rectangularly looped bar 28 located within the interspace of the annular plates 6 and whose members are curved upwardly and offset outwardly and pivotally mounted on studs 27 on upright supports 26 whose lower ends are fixed to the sub-frame members 98. The outer extremities of the members of said scraper are connected by means of coiled tension springs 29 and links 30 with the lower ends of levers 31 whose cross connection 32 is pivotally mounted in the upper ends of uprights 33 fixed on said members 98. One of the levers '31 is extended upwardly from the cross-connection 32, and its upper end is pivotally connected to an operating rod 34 carried rearwardly. Said rod 34 is pivoted to a hand-lever 109 mounted to rock across a rack-sector 108 with which its spring-controlled detent 110 adjustably engages to permit adjustment of the tension of the springs 29. These tension springs 29 tend to yieldingly swing the loop end of said scraper 28 upwardly so as to move it between the excavating tools 1, as indicated by the full and dotted lines in Fig. 3, wherein the full lines show the position of the scraper when forced downwardly by the rotation of one of the tools 1 over which it has been scraping, and from which it is disengaging, the dotted lines showing the scraper disengaged and moving toward the succeeding tool 1 by the reaction of the springs 29. The continued movement of this succeeding tool 1 forces it over said scraper, permitting the latter to remove any adherent material which drops upon the table 34:. By means of theadjusting lever 109, the springs 29 may be placed under different degrees of tension as may-be necessary to cause the scraper to remove from the tools adhering material of difierent degrees of adhesiveness.

The excavating mechanism above described, may be raised or lowered, together with the sub-frame 98, by the following means:

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, said fixed structure 81 is arched or positioned over the interspaces of the main frame members 96, between which swing up and down the sub-frame members 98, which carry the said excavating apparatus. Bearings in brackets on the uprights of the structure 81, said uprights being supported at the sides by braces 87, carry rotatable shafts 7 1 and 79, of which the upper shaft 74; has a hand- Wheel 73 and a sprocket wheel 76. A sprocket chain 77 is passed about the sprocket-wheel 76 and about a sprocket wheel 78 fixed on the middle of the shaft 79. Cables 80 are secured to opposite parts of the shaft 79 to wind thereon, said cables then being carried upwardly about sheaves in depending blocks 85, thence downwardly about sheaves 82 rotatable between fixed supports on the sub-frame members 98, thence upwardly about sheaves 83 mounted on the top cross-beam of said structure 81, the ends of the cables then being removably secured to pins 84: on said structure. By the use of said hand-wheel, said device may be used to raise the sub-frame and excavating apparatus to a height suitable to clear the ground level or for transportation.

Various changes may be efl'ected in the parts of said device, or in a relative arrangement or operation, without departing from thep-rinciples of the invention, or from the scope of its protection. v s

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by. Letters Patent, is: p i

I. In ,a ditching machine, a main frame mounted on means for transportation, a sub-frame positioned entirely within said main frame and pivotally connected thereto at, oneend only, a rotatable annular soilcutting device mounted in the free end of' said sub-frame, a power-plant, power trans mission mechanism connected operatively between said power plant and said rotatable soil-cutting device to rotate same, and a rotatable soil-receiving table mounted on said sub-frame and positioned within the hollow of said annular soil-cutting device to receive soil excavated thereby, said power trans mission mechanism also being operatively connected with said table to rotate same.-

- 2. In a ditching machine, a rotatable soilexcavating device, said device having a plurality of transverse soil scooping blades, and a like. plurality of soil-cutting blades arranged in advance of the soil-scooping outwardly fromsaid device, with itsouter soil-cutting part both radial and in a plane oblique to the plane of thecircumference of the device to both out the soil and gather it into the device.

3; In a ditching machine, rotatable annular soil-excavating device having spaced projecting transverse blades delivering centrally inwardly, means for preventing escape downwardly of soil upon 'said blades until the latter have moved upwardly to a position over the center of the device, a rotatable table positioned within. the hollow of the device and with its center to one side of the medial longitudinal plane of said device, a scraper fixed over the part of said table which extends outwardly from said device, and a movable scraper positioned over that part of the table which is within said device adapted to yieldingly scrape the soil excavating surface of each of said blades after the latter deliver their loads of excavated soil upon said table thereunder. V

Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 10th day of Sept, 1917. 1

" V ALBERT BRAMER.

copies of this patentmay be obtained'tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, 1).03. 

